Just finished diagnostic exam-has me second guessing myself

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Okay, Wow, some definite possibilities and definite adventures (potential adventures, let's say).

I've had some success with kind of a low-key style of leadership (and for presidents and other leaders, I also like the theory of the "good enough" leader). You might have another style, and that's fine. And it's good to experiment. I actually find leadership more straightforward than vague social skills like standing around and just being there.

Okay, so it sounds like you're ahead of the game knowing some of the areas you want to improve. (And as far as between micromanaging and delegating (overdelegating), somewhere between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan there has to be a happy medium!)

So my psychologist finally finished processing(?) my results as well as reading some of the additional information that I emailed to her since my initial 2 appointments (a more detailed history of my childhood from what I can recollect and the results of the online tests I have taken). She has given me a provisional diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome. She said it was provisional because while I clearly display the social and communicative aspects of the diagnosis, my behavioral manifestations (stimming, need for routine, special interests) are not as severe as she would expect.

So I guess I am kind of officially diagnosed now (although I chose not to have her write an official report as I don't see any benefit to that). I don't know how I feel about it. I feel relieved, happy, and sad all at the same time. I am going back to see her next week when I am supposed to decide whether I want to pursue a course of therapy (she mentioned cognitive and behavioral therapy as well as working on social skills). I read kfisherx's experience with this kind of therapy but was wondering if any other adults have any experience with it and if it helps?

I think the social skills classes are a great idea, but not the cognitive behavioral therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is basically about teaching people to view themselves objectively rather than internalizing negative thoughts such as "I suck, I'm horrible, I should go kill myself." The point is to dispel snap emotional judgements using logic. As an Aspie and a computer programmer, you are probably logical and objective already. You said that you don't have anxiety or depression, which are the primary targets of this therapy, so this therapy might turn out to be a waste of time for you. Also, group therapy is really really really boring, and if you have sensory issues, then it is likely to lead to sensory overload and brain shutdown. Also, people will constantly ask you how you feel feel feel, so if you are not very emotional or good at expressing your emotions, then you may end up feeling like a robot compared to the others, and you may even pick up the negative belief that you are somehow less human for not sharing in the social and emotional reciprocity effortlessly displayed by everyone else in the group. Also, the therapists may try to tell you how you think and feel, and they will usually be wrong, because they will automatically misinterpret everything you say, because they are not autistic. So you may end up wondering if you are crazy as well! As you can tell, I don't think this therapy is good for autistic people without anxiety or depression.

I do have some anxiety issues. I get really anxious going to doctors and I tend to beat myself up over mistakes. She mentioned the cognitive behavioral therapy in regards mainly to my rigid black and white way of thinking.

"Provisional" eh? Don't you just love the ways NTs have of avoiding certainty.

As for CBT, I've never done it for AS, only anxiety. The CBT for anxiety was very tough at first because I was told to do the exact opposite of what I would normally do. Once I got the hang of it it was VERY helpful.